Saturday, June 30, 2012

Second Quarter

Well, today is June 30, and you may remember that I'd planned on doing a quarterly update to see how my WIP reduction is going.

This quarter's update is going to be very short, since the cross stitch has been taking up most of my time.  I haven't finished a single WIP on my list.  I've barely knit anything at all.

I did cast on something new-- the AMS 12.  It is the only new project I've started this entire year so far.  I only knit up clue 1, then it was right back to the cross stitch.


Once I finish the cross stitch, I'll be able to get back to my list. 

The good news is, half a year is gone and I have not bought not one single fiber of yarn.  Not one. 

I had me a little adventure in Batesville this evening, but right now I'm too tired to type it all out.  I think I'll make it tomorrow's post. 

And I'm going to bed. 

Friday, June 29, 2012

Dear Coworker

Um, no, I will not go fishing with you and your girlfriend.  Despite your insistence that she won't be jealous, let me reassure you that she most certainly will. 

Trust me on this. 

Thank you.

That is all.

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Something's Wrong

With my marigolds. Not all of them-- just the last 4 I planted.  They're all turning yellow and dying.


I don't know why. 

Maybe I planted them too late in the year.  The ones I planted earlier are doing OK.  It's just these last few that are dying.I had one in a pot, and it was doing fine until I put it into the ground.  Now it's completely dead. 

Maybe the slugs have found them again.  Slugs love marigolds, and nearly killed the first ones I planted. 

James wants me to move this one from the garden into my flower bed, but I don't really think I should. 
.

As hot and dry as it's been, I think it's best just to leave it where it is.

I finally remembered I have a bed in the front yard, too, and watered it really well.  


It's perked up a bit, but still looks pretty pathetic.

The heat is just unreal.  It's sapping the life out of everything, including me.  It's so hot, I don't even let the dogs go out for very long. 

It makes me wonder how our ancestors survived.  They were made of tougher stuff than I am, that's for sure.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

WIPs On Wednesday


Well, I still have a long way to go, but I finally feel like I'm beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  I hope the colors even out when I wash it.  I didn't see anything like a dye lot number on the floss, but it's definitely three different shades. 

Oh, well, they're just going to have to live with it.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Random Thoughts of a Tuesday Evening

I ate some chicken last week.  When I was done, naturally I threw the bones in the trash.  After a couple of days in this heat, well, let's just say the garbage men weren't pleased with me.  Ya think?



Speaking of heat, my plans for the weekend:  Clean out the refrigerator.  Sit inside.  With Sherlock.  That is all.



I bought some Greek Yogurt.  Other than being slightly thicker and twice as expensive, I don't see what all the fuss is about.  I'll just stick with plain.

I finally got some mulch on my poor flower beds.  I bought three bags and it wasn't quite enough.  I covered the whole bed, but it's pretty thin in spots.





As soon as I got home from the store, I found a sales flier from Lowe's with mulch on sale 4 bags for $10.  Sounds about like my luck.  Maybe I can find time to get up there before the sale goes off.

But look, I have a little bouquet.  


OK, it's mostly stuff I broke off accidentally, but it's still pretty.

If you ignore the mess on my counter, that is.

People at work keep asking me why I don't like a certain fellow who is crazy about me.  Everybody knows he's crazy about me, because he tells everyone every day how crazy he is about me.  People every day come up and say, "You know, he's crazy about you.  Why don't you like him?"  So the question is, what is the polite way to say because he's a pathetic loser?  

People who think animals are pure and selfless, and don't kill for fun, and that humans are the only animal that drinks the milk of another animal, and the world would be one big lion and lamb utopia if it weren't for us humans weren't around messing everything up have never been around real animals. But that's a discussion that warrants a post of its own.

Just one more month until training camp begins. There are rumors around the plant that we may have to work on the Fourth. But, we get holiday pay, PLUS double time for actual hours worked, so I'm OK with that.

I guess that's it for this edition of Random Thoughts. I'll catch you next time.

Monday, June 25, 2012

It's Not A Right




As I've said before, health care is not a right, it's a responsibility, and it's YOUR responsibility to provide it for yourself and your family.

"But, but, but", you may stammer, "what about those who can't afford it?"

Well, well, well, I will respond, if they can afford multiple smartphones, multiple satellite/cable connections, high speed internet, the latest gaming systems, multiple vehicles with ear splitting speakers, gold jewelry, high dollar, name brand clothes, etc. etc., then they can afford insurance. 

It's all about priorities. If you make your toys are your priority, then don't expect me to make your medical expenses mine.

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Sunday Reminder



It's been so dry here, with no rain in the forecast.  It kinda put me in mind of this song.

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Dear CoWorker

While I greatly appreciate the fact that you are paying attention to your personal grooming, filing your fingernails with a rasp from the maintenance department is just...um...well...

wrong.

Thank you.

That is all.

Friday, June 22, 2012

Coneflowers

I just happened to be in the garden center-- yeah right--

OK, I was pricing mulch when I found one last, lonely coneflower amongst the few scraggly plants they had left there.  It looked so sad, so alone.  I couldn't leave it behind.

I knew just what to do with it.


Now my little coneflower garden is complete.

In all seriousness, I'd wanted six of them to begin with.  I'd had three, then last week, I found two more.  I thought that was all of them, and that I would have to wait until next year to finish my perennial bed.  But today, I found one more.  Either I overlooked it last time I was in there, or somebody brought it back.  Either way, I'm happy.

So is the coneflower.

I guess tomorrow after work, I go on the great mulch hunt.  All Walmart has left is the high dollar stuff.  I'm going to look at a few other places around town and see if they have any, but if not, I'm thinking about going to Greenwood to see what they have.  

On the other hand, it might be cheaper to buy what Walmart has than to pay for gas to go all the way to Greenwood. 

And now, back to the all consuming cross stitch...

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

WIPs on Wednesday

Yes, today is Wednesday-- the day I normally give you my WIP update. However, since the only thing I've been WIPping on lately is that blasted cross stitch, that's all you're going to get.


I really am not enjoying this at all.  It seems like I stitch and stitch and stitch and don't get anywhere.  She wanted two.  She ain't gettin two.

At this rate, she'll be lucky to get one. 

I'm going to bed.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Well, That's That

I was at work today, working away when someone came on the PA and announced

Someone has lost a set of keys.  They are on a large tag that says, "Keys I haven't lost yet".  You can pick them up at such and such machine.

The irony was not lost on me.

A few minutes later, the same person came on the loudspeaker again and announced

Someone has left a set of keys in the front break room.  They are on a large tag which reads, "Keys I haven't lost yet."  Well, you've lost them now and need to come get them at such and such machine.

I guess they're going to have to get a new keyring, now.

Monday, June 18, 2012

New Flowers

Back a few months ago, I subscribed to the new NFL magazine.   Last week, I got a letter saying that the magazine was being discontinued, and the rest of my subscription was going to be refunded to me.  Enclosed was a check for that refund.

Suddenly finding myself $30 richer, what did I do?  I went and bought flowers.

You know, to replace all the poke salad I'd been raising in my garden.

I bought scaevola.


Vinca


More marigolds


Purple coneflower


More zinnias


And still more zinnias


I've decided that I like zinnias very much.  I could have a whole bed of just zinnias.  Tall zinnias in the back.  Medium sized zinnias in the middle.  Short zinnias in the front.  I may just do that, next year.

Well, despite the heat, I got everything safely tucked in to the flower beds.





The next step is to get some mulch down. 

Oh, and I finally figured out what these things are.  Once the blooms had opened, a quick internet search revealed that they are my Cosmos.



I'm not so sure I like them.  I'll just have to wait and see. 

The zinnias are definitely a keeper though.

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Dear Total Stranger

While I very much appreciate your interest in my Kindle e-reader, I honestly have no idea whether your daughter would like one or not.  But thank you for asking. 

That is all.

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Sigh...

The bad news is, I was out working in my flower bed yesterday evening, when James walked up behind me and said, "That's poke salad."


And so is that.


and that...


and that.


And that, and that, and that ...

Well, you get the idea. About 2/3 of the plants I'd weeded and worked, and fed and watered were nothing more than poke salad.

 Poke salad!

Turns out I'd been lovingly and carefully tending a bed of weeds. All I could do was to curl up and whimper. Then rip them all out.

 Sigh...

The bed looks so empty now.  I guess tomorrow after church, I'll go in to Wal-Mart and see what they have left that I can use to fill in the gaps.

The good news is, I still have some real flowers left.  I don't know what this is, but it's got a pretty pink bud on it.
  

And if it's got pretty pink flowers, it gets to stay.

I've got another zinnia getting ready to bloom.


And the store bought zinnias are doing well.


I'm not sure what this one is, but it looks like something I ought to keep.  (That's another poke salad behind it.)


And the first zinnia has a second bud on it. 


So, put your mind at ease, Cyndye.  The zinnias are just fine.  And the petunias, too.


The mixed blessing news is, the honeybees have found the flowers.  This is good news for the bees, and good news for the flowers, but not so good news for the deathly allergic person who likes to work in her bare feet.  

Guess it's time to dig out the ol' Tevas.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Dear CoWorker

In you are going to buy a Dr. Pepper out of the vending machine, then throw this much


of it in the trash, then I don't want to hear any more about how you never have enough money. 

I got no sympathy for you.

Thank you.

That is all.


Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Work In Progress

Normally, Wednesday is the day I give my WIP update, but since the only think I've been working on lately is the blankety blank cross stitch, it's all I have to report on.

Here it is:



It's getting there.  I still have to fill in the white outline of the Fleur-di-lis, put a star for New Orleans, and fill in the rest of Louisiana and I'm done. 

What?  Another S?  Where? 

Looks fine to me just the way it is.

Snicker snort.

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Tuckered

I'm plumb tuckered.

We had some bad storms blow through in the wee smalls that woke me up.  They were bad enough that Rylea asked to come into the bedroom.  She never does that.

The stormy part continued probably until around 6 or 6:30, but it rained most of the day.  Why does it always seem to rain when I schedule a vacation day?

When you work 6 days a week, sometimes you need a catch up day, and that's what today was supposed to be.  I guess it's a good think I hadn't planned any yard work.  I got most of what I wanted to get done done, except shampooing my carpet because shampooing my carpet is the bane of my existence.

Actually, people who constantly have to tap or bang on things are the bane of my existence.  And people who hum, and people who have a string of spit connecting their top and bottom lip when they talk, and...

OK, I have a lot of banes of my existence.

Rain is not one of them.  I love rain.  I don't love having to get out in it so much, but I love rain.  So do my flowers.  The bed got a good soaking last night, and the flowers are singing with joy.  

My zinnia is coming on,
 

and from the look of things, I'm going to have a lot more zinnias coming on soon.


That's mud on the leaf, not fungus or something icky.  I've got some buds on my four o'clocks, too


I think my marigolds are defective, though.


Marigolds are supposed to keep bugs from eating your other plants, but mine aren't.  You can see in that bottom picture that the plant right next to the marigold looks like something's salad.  I'm going to have to do some research and see what other strategies I can come up with.

Monday, June 11, 2012

Sunday, June 10, 2012

A Bud!

I have a bud on one of my zinnias!


This is one I planted myself, so that makes it doubly exciting.

I also found a little skink that has been hanging around.  OK, it's not a toad, but they do eat bugs and such.  I found one website that says they eat slugs, too.  So I want to keep him.

In an attempt to keep him hanging around, I found a couple of my old snake hides that my snakes have outgrown, and put them in strategic places in my flower bed. 



If he has safe places to hide, maybe he'll stick around.

 In the meantime, the blankety blank cross stitch is back on track, and coming along right nicely.


If this keeps up, I might have to drop the blankety blank, and just call it The Cross Stitch from now on. I just have to finish the Fleur-di-lis, do the S and the A, and a star to mark New Orleans, then I'm going to just outline the shape of Louisiana and fill it in.  No more referring to the pattern!  That'll make it a lot easier.

Speaking of patterns, I I think I would have done better if I'd shopped around and found one professionally drawn.  This one isn't the greatest.  Someone just lifted a graphic off the internet and plugged it into an unregistered chart generating program.  It doesn't seem like she proofread it or anything.  I've done a bit of tinkering already, and probably should have done more.  If I had more time, I would, but I don't.  Anyway, this is the picture Shelbi wanted, so that's what I'm doing..  

Squeaky says, "I know you ain't puttin' no New Orleans Saints thing in my house!


Oh, for charity?  That's OK, then.  Carry on.  But don't forget my scritches."

Saturday, June 09, 2012

Day Off

We were supposed to have had to work today, but they ended up giving us the day off-- for Randall's funeral.  I know all the maintenance guys would want to go, and all the other supervisors, and of course, the front office people. 

It's been tough on all of us, even those such as myself that weren't really all that close to him.  Randall was one of those rare people that everybody loved.  In all the seventeen years I've worked out there, I never heard anyone say anything bad about him.  He was quiet and kept to himself a lot, but he was nice to everybody.  It sure is going to leave a hole...

I spent a good deal of my day working in the flower bed.  I finished weeding and deadheading, and moved a few things that were too close together.  Then I swiped a soaker hose and gave the garden a good drink.  I mean a really good drink.  That seemed to perk everything up.  I also finally got the last of the spider lily bulbs planted.

I took my garden claw and tilled up a bed.  Spider lilies don't really need to be planted very deep, so the claw was enough.  Well, I got the dirt loosened up well, then just kind of tossed the bulbs out there.  Wherever they landed was where I poked them down into the dirt. 

And that's that for planting, for this year anyway.

I few days ago, my friend Cyndye was remarking how the sweat runs down into her eyes and gets on her glasses when she works in the yard.  I mentioned that I have that same problem, and wondered if they still make those dorky looking sweat bands that were so popular a few years back.

Dang if she didn't up and send me a couple.  Dallas Cowboy colors, too.  Yeah, my friends know me well.  


I wore one while I was puttering around in the yard today, but it was so cool that I didn't really need it. 

I spent the rest of the day working on what I've come to refer to as "the blankety blank cross stitch".  About a week ago, I discovered a pretty grievous error, and had to rip out the entire Fleur-di-lis.  Normally, I would have ignored such an error and kept on going, and I tried to this time, and kept on going.

Perhaps I shouldn't have.

See, when I got to the bottom-- after spending days ignoring the aforementioned error--  I discovered that the bottom of my Fleur-di-lis would have overlapped the top of my letters.  So, out it had to come. 

Since picking out cross stitch-- especially black cross stitch--is a rather tedious and nerve racking experience, I relieved the tension by picking out one length of floss, then using that length to cross stitch the letters. 

Now, I've got the entire thing picked out and started over, and we're once again moving forward instead of backward.


I just know I'll be glad to get the dumb thing done, so I can get back to knitting.